Facility

Reviews

From a First-Timer

“I went to New Life Ayahuasca having never traveled internationally by myself, didn’t know a single person and had never done any type of plant medicines. The entire experience was life changing! From the second I arrived, I felt my fears melt away. Matt and Jeanae welcomed all of us when we arrived and made us feel right at home. The house was amazing! It’s in a beautiful location, surrounded by nature. I saw monkeys, parrots and some other animals I didn’t even know existed. You get your own room and your own bathroom. This is perfect if you need a little alone time. Most of the other places don’t offer that and the ones that do, are expensive. The food was nutritious and really good. The ceremonies were beautiful, and they are held in a safe environment. Matt helped me prepare for the ceremonies and I felt like he really cared about helping and listening to me. That’s a big deal when you’re doing something that you’ve never done before. We got to do yoga with Jeanae, who is a wonderful teacher. I met some amazing people at New Life and I felt like we all connected. Everyone was so friendly and they were easy to talk to. The groups are a little smaller which in my opinion, is the way to go. Having experienced all that I did, I would have felt very overwhelmed if I was at a retreat with 10 +. I won’t speak much about the medicine because each experience is different for each person. My experience is hard to put into words. It’s been about a month and I’m discovering new things about life and myself every day. That may sound cliche, but it’s so true. I’m not the same person I was when I arrived, and I mean that in a good way. Going to New Life Ayahuasca was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. My intuition guided me here and now I understand why. I highly recommend this place! I’ll be back for sure. Thank you Matt & Jeanae!”

- Mike P

Feel the Love

“One of the most deep and profound experiences of my life. Matt is the real deal and an amazing healer. Jeanne is his perfect counterpart. From their delicious, farm to table, nutritious meals to their multiple plant medicine healing modalities, and amazing icaros, they work to massage away any emotional or physical difficulties that might be ailing you. They do so in such a grounded and wholesome way. The love and warmth is palpable. I left brighter, happier and more connected to nature and the cosmos.”

- Vinh Ngo

Follow-Up Review

“This is my second review of New Life Ayahuasca. NLA is a wonderful and at times a magical place. Those of you who have never taken the medicine might roll your eyes at my use of the term ‘magical’. That’s OK, just try it and see. Matt and Jeanae have created a safe and caring environment in which one can grow. For those who hear the call of Ayahuasca, the medicine can bring about amazing personal transformations. I am not the same man who first went to New Life a year and a half ago. Then, I was a damaged man who was haunted by a a rough childhood. I was prone to depression and quick to take offense. While I was good at my job, I wasn’t well liked because of my quick temper. Now, after three retreats, I am a changed man. My baseline is ‘happy’ and I nearly always feel content, which is not something most people can say these days. I am much less into myself and I care more about others, especially my family. I am less combative, more creative, and have an easier time seeing other people’s points of view. I feel lucky to be me and I feel gratitude every day. As a result, people like me much more which, of course makes me happier. It is a virtuous cycle. On an objective level, my EQ score has improved dramatically. Of course, this is just my experience. I cannot know what Ayahuasca will do for you. For me, though, it has changed my life – dramatically – and for the better.”

Iboga

What is Iboga?

Tabernanthe iboga is a small shrub that grows wild in Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon and Cameroon. It is related to the coffee plant and grows in well-drained soil, partially shaded by larger canopy trees. It has deep green narrow leaves, small clusters of tiny white-to-yellow flowers. The fruit are yellow to orange and about the size of a grape. Iboga root bark contains the active alkaloids which give it it’s unique properties. The first layer of root bark is removed and discarded. It is the second layer that is scraped and powdered for use.

Iboga is a strong entheogen. In sufficient quantity the user experiences a long lasting visionary state. It has psychedelic properties and commonly creates open eye hallucinations.

Iboga History

Iboga has been used for hundreds, possibly thousands of years. It is a powerful, activating plant teacher and spirit. Its origins lie with the forest Pygmie people of central West Africa. The Bwiti sects of Gabon and Cameroon use iboga as they key sacrament in their initiation process.

Bwiti is the reason Gabon has been called “The Tibet of Africa,” and iboga is at the center of Bwiti spirituality. Taken in small doses, iboga(ine) stimulates the central nervous system and heightens the senses. In larger doses, it produces intense and long lasting (aroud 12-16 hours) visionary states, the process of which can lead to long-term psychological recovery as well as beneficial life changes. It is in this manner that iboga(ine) excels in treating disorders such as depression, anxiety and PTSD.

Iboga was introduced to the West by Howard Lotsof in 1962. Lotsof discovered that iboga, or more specifically the derivative Ibogaine HCL (hydrochloride), could reduce or eliminate opiate withdrawal symptoms. While ibogaine therapy is a promising treatment for options for addictions, it is not a cure-all and there is a long process of recovery that requires a dedication of time. Most ibogaine facilities do these detox treatments over the course of a week, and in our opinion this is no where near sufficient time to address all the issues that cause and fuel addiction. For this reason, we do not offer detox services.

Iboga Chemistry

Indole alkaloids typically make up 6% of the scrapings of the root bark. The more time the iboga plant grows the more alkaloids it contains. It takes an average of seven years to reach maturity and contain enough alkaloids for therapeutic use. Ibogaine, ibogamine, ibogaline and tabernanthine are four key alkaloids present, with most of the pharmacological knowledge about ibogaine. Also found in iboga are coronaridine, voacangine, isovoacangine, and conophararyngine, which have unknown qualities..

All forms of ibogaine are derived from iboga root bark. Therefore there are different types of ibogaine and varying degrees of purity. Ibogaine HCL is the purest form of ibogaine (up to 99%) and has been found to be safest and easiest on the body as well as reducing recovery time post-treatment. Ibogaine TA (total alkaloids) is another type of ibogaine available and is 15% total alkaloids by weight, 8% of which is ibogaine.

Ibogaine

The visions produced by ibogaine therapy can provide insights to past patterns and behaviors in an individual’s life and personality which helps people realize what changes they need and want for personal growth and success in their lives. These visions also usually come with feelings of gratitude, acceptance and peace from matters of the past, allowing a user to focus on their future and the potential it can hold. It is in this matter that ibogaine excels in treating depression, anxiety, PTSD and other conditions of the mind.

Safety

Patient safety is our biggest priority at New Life Ayahuasca. Ibogaine treatment can be tough on the body physically so we implement a rigorous medical screening process that requires certain medical tests including an EKG and certain blood work, which is determined by our medical director, prior to treatment. We do constant monitoring of vital signs during the treatment and have a medical doctor on site during treatment and the following day. For more information please visit our sister program New Life Iboga on Ibogaine Safety.